For some reason, I imagined the official Space Force song would be like the 1960s Batman TV show theme, but with “Batman” replaced with “Space Force.” I was very wrong. On Tuesday, Space Force revealed its official song, a patriotic tune full of shimmering cymbals and references to space.
The song is called Semper Supra after Space Force’s motto, which is Latin for “always above.” Members of Space Force are called guardians. “It was created to capture the esprit de corps of both current and future Guardians, and intends to bring together service members by giving them a sense of pride,” Space Force said in a statement.
The lyrics are brief: “We’re the mighty watchful eye/Guardians beyond the blue/the invisible front line/warfighters brave and true/boldly reaching into space/there’s no limit to our sky/standing guard both night and day/we’re the Space Force from on high.”
Space Force, the newest branch of the US military, has received some ribbing for everything from its name to its logo and uniforms, often with sci-fi fans pointing out similarities to their favorite fictional franchises. It’s a little harder to find a sci-fi reference in Semper Supra, but perhaps it’s worth giving the Firefly theme song a fresh listen: “You can’t take the sky from me.”
Singer/songwriter James Teachenor, a former member of the Air Force band at the Air Force Academy, was the primary creator of the tune. Coast Guard trombonist Sean Nelson worked on the arrangement, saying, “At first, it started with singing and the piano. I became familiar with the other branches’ songs, but I wanted this one to have its own modern spin to reflect what the Space Force is — modern, new and very advanced.”
The marching band sound and choral arrangement are reminiscent of the theme songs for other branches of the US military. I’m not really picking up on the modern elements of the tune, but it’s now thoroughly stuck in my head. At least it’s not Baby Shark.
